


The Road to Recovery Is Paved With Pawprints

by Denizen_of_Dreamland



Series: Persona Series x Reader [4]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Animal Instincts, Catboys & Catgirls, Couch Cuddles, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Other, POV Second Person, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Post-Canon, Reader's gender is not specified, Reader-Insert, Romance, Sleepy Cuddles, Slice of Life, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touching, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:22:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27642716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denizen_of_Dreamland/pseuds/Denizen_of_Dreamland
Summary: You spend a sleepy evening with your human-cat hybrid boyfriend Takuto Maruki, while you reflect on how far your relationship has come.
Relationships: Maruki Takuto/Reader
Series: Persona Series x Reader [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1546771
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	The Road to Recovery Is Paved With Pawprints

**Author's Note:**

> i have no excuse

School counselor, psientific researcher, near enactor of the apocalypse, (almost) god of the new world, taxi driver, cat-human hybrid, lovable dork… There’s not a single way to describe Takuto Maruki, but he’s the man you’re proud to call your boyfriend, and nothing in his past will change the way you feel about him.

When you first met, he appeared to be an honest counselor working on some research of his own on the side, nothing more, nothing less. He wasn’t the first counselor or the first cat hybrid you’d seen, but he caught your eye right away, with his sweet smile, his dorky mannerisms, and the compassion that shone through each of his words and actions. Every single one of his gestures -- how he adjusted his glasses when he was nervous, how he fidgeted in his seat to make room for his tail, how he bonked his head against the microphone during Shujin’s morning assembly -- was supremely awkward, but in an adorable way, and his shenanigans never failed to draw a chuckle out of you.

You didn’t know it at the time, but he inwardly took pride in the fact that, if nothing else, at least his clumsiness always managed to bring you a smile to your face.

Though he wasn’t entirely in the wrong, that wasn’t the only thing about him that you took a shine to.

You began to catch yourself staring not long after meeting him, taking notice of all the things, both big and small, that made him into who he was. You marvelled at the way his eyes lighted up when talking about cognitive psience, at the way his chestnut locks bounced when he nodded enthusiastically, and at how his tufted ears, which more closely resembled a lynx than a cat, twitched around restlessly, always attentive to their surroundings. More than once, you saw him jump out of his chair, swivel around, and accidentally sweep his desk with his fluffy tail, only to startle himself when his stuff clattered against the ground. You also learned that he rushed to grab that same tail whenever he was near a door to avoid an unfortunate accident, but he wasn’t always successful, as his reflexes were still poor.

When it came to details about his personal life, Takuto was a master at closing himself off and putting other people’s needs ahead of himself, because he hated being a burden. However, as he warmed up to you over time, he gradually revealed bits and pieces of his inner self, all of which you burned into your memory, treasuring them as small gems that Takuto himself chose to trust you with.

He liked flowers, loved to help people, enjoyed massages, and preferred catnip to alcohol, but occasionally treated himself to a can of beer. On the flip side, he thought human snacks were far superior to cat treats, which he said were lacking in flavor.

He was fond of upbeat songs and easy listening music, but he was open to any and all genres. He was interested in history, though it was mostly from an psychological perspective, he was an avid reader, and he wasn’t up to date on the music, fashion, or film industries. He had picked up cooking during high school, he had always dreamed of being a scientist, but, at some point in his childhood, he had thought of becoming an astronaut (“I doubt it’d be a good idea - I’m not great at handling heights, haha”), and he volunteered at animal shelters and rescue groups whenever he managed to squeeze it into his schedule. He agreed that it could be uncomfortable at times, but he wanted to help lost, abandoned, and injured animals, and he considered that his feline communication skills were a valuable asset when it came to dealing with rescued kittens.

Kind and genuine, patient and understanding, Takuto only became more and more alluring the more you got to know him. His cat-like habits and human-like habits were equally endearing, even if some of them were… out of the norm. Like that one time when you were hanging out in his office and he got hungry, so he opened a can of sardines with his claws. He offered you some, even if he already knew you were going to decline, and then he gulped one down one of them, before washing it down with apple juice like that was a totally normal thing to do.

In any case, you became used to his presence, which was relaxing and uplifting at the same time. Conversation came easy when you were around him, as you knew you were in a judgement-free zone, and you were allowed to ramble, complain, or gush over your interests as much as you wanted to, without having to worry about boring him or putting him off. After all, Takuto loved to listen to your thoughts as much as you loved to hear him going off about psychology, so, as long as he wasn’t working with a patient, he was glad to welcome you into his office to hear you vent or to give you advice. Sometimes, if he was feeling up to it, he would even let you scratch behind his ears to help you calm down.

He easily captured your heart. He was the kind of person who you simultaneously wanted to protect and be protected by, and, to be honest, that was a fair balance, considering that he was eager to give you everything he had, but was pretty lacking in the self-care department.

However, as good as he was at reading people’s emotions, he was oblivious as hell when it came to interpreting your romantic advances and clumsy attempts at flirting. You didn’t know it at the time either, but, even if he had recognized your pining for what it was, he wasn’t ready to return to the dating scene. He hadn’t recovered from the loss of his ex-fiancée yet, he was fully enraptured by his research, and he still had a long way to go before he could truly be emotionally available for a romantic relationship.

You’ve both come far since then. You and Takuto are now in a committed relationship, one that is going strong despite the obstacles you’ve encountered along the way.

Right now, he’s lying across the couch, with his head resting on your lap, his hands curled like paws, and his knees to his chest, while the credits roll on the TV screen. You’re softly raking your hand through his hair, alternating between twirling the soft curls around your fingers and massaging his scalp. In response to your touch, his cat ears twitch, and his mouth curves up into a small smile. He seems to be enjoying the attention, even in his sleep.

You focus on the way his chest rises and falls over your lap, as you admire his peaceful snoozing face. While you continue stroking his hair, you bring your other hand towards his face, cup his cheek, and brush your thumb over the bridge of his nose in a soothing motion. His skin is so clear and smooth...

Damn, is there anything about this man that  _ isn’t _ soft? Even the way he sleeps is adorable.

There are very few things more comforting than to spend the afternoon snuggling with your boyfriend, sharing snacks, and rewatching your favorite show. It’s a great way to wind down after work, even if Takuto usually dozes off by the first couple of episodes, like the dork he is. You can’t really blame him, though, due to his cat hybrid nature; while he doesn’t need as much sleep as the average cat, he does need more than the average person.

That, of course, caused him problems back when he was working on his research while also working part-time at Shujin, as he wasn’t getting nearly as much sleep as necessary. His exhaustion made him grumpier and, on his worse days, it made him act wilder, throwing fits when things didn’t go his way, chattering at people who got on his nerves (like Shujin’s vice principal, his damn _boss,_ of all things) and just acting out of character overall. Honestly, it’s a good thing that you’re here for him, because you’ve learned how to spot the signs, and you can convince him to go get a nap and return to his usual cheerful self before he gets himself into trouble.

Though it might be an inconvenience in daily life, it’s perfectly normal for a cat hybrid like Takuto to revert back to his feral instincts when threatened, stressed out, or under pressure. Considering that his species’ feline half is much better equipped to deal with danger than their human half, it’s a defense mechanism that has some merits.

However, you’d rather not have to see Takuto in so much pain that he would revert back to his most animalistic self, as he did on that cold February afternoon of 2016.

You still remember it with perfect clarity. You were strolling down the streets of Odaiba, on your way home, when the sounds of oddly familiar yowling reached your ears amongst the bustle of the crowd. They seemed to be coming from near a construction site, from a dark, greasy spot in between two columns, hidden from view by some carelessly stacked wooden planks and other materials. Concerned for the poor creature that had probably gotten stuck there, you carefully approached the cramped hiding spot and bent down to try and get a peek inside. A screeching hiss instantly made you jump back in shock, heart flying to your throat.

Once you recovered from the scare, you stepped forward and leaned down only to find not just any stray cat, but Takuto himself, huddling against the wall. He was on all fours, back arched, head low, and ears flattened against his skull. There were tears running down his cheeks, and his breathing was shaky; there was no mistaking how utterly horrified he was. He stared at you with narrow pupils, his piercing eyes glinting in the dark, warning you not to step any closer if you didn’t want your own eyes getting clawed out.

It broke your heart to see him so lost and scared and confused that he relied on his most basic instincts for protection... His face was contorted in a mixture of fear, rage, and despair; the image was a far cry from the friendly counselor you knew, who always greeted you with a smile on his face and your favorite snack in his hand.

He was obviously hurt, not only mentally but also physically, as his face was covered in bruises, there were a few bloodstains on his clothes, and his glasses were nowhere to be found. He was poorly dressed in comparison to the weather outside, so it was no wonder why he was clinging to his little reprieve for warmth.

You lowered yourself further and beckoned to him, softly calling his name, but he only growled and huddled against the wall in response, as if trying to get as far away from you as possible. He scrunched up his nose, baring his fangs, and let out hisses, spits, snarls, and even the occasional cry:

“Leave me alone!” He said, breaking into a sob. “I have nothing left in this world!”

It took a long time and a lot of sweet talking to coax him out of his hiding space, but you suspect that the main reason he gave in was because you weren’t showing any signs of wanting to surrender, and he didn’t want to hold you back until late.

Given their size, feral cat-human hybrids can often be more dangerous than their feline counterparts, so you braced yourself to be bitten or scratched and possibly taken to the hospital. However, as soon as you wrapped your arms around Takuto to stop him from running away, it became apparent that, even in this state, he was all bark and no bite; he was too kind-hearted to actually try to hurt you. He clung onto you, tail curled around your leg, and began to mumble nonsensical apologies over and over, blaming himself for something that you didn’t quite grasp at the time. You let him cry into your shoulder, holding him in your arms and whispering reassurances until he settled down, mostly due to exhaustion. He thanked you weakly and let you walk him home.

He has made great strides in his recovery since then. Though it was hard for him, he opened up to you about his trauma, after years of bottling up his feelings and suffering in silence, seeked out therapy, which has worked out great so far, and took up a job as a taxi driver to take a break from counseling. Somewhere down the line, he asked you out, and that’s how you ended up in your current situation.

A trill and a sudden shift on your lap bring you back to the present. You look down to see that Takuto is looking up at you, blinking slowly, with a soft smile on his face.

He lets out the cutest little yawn, before stretching his arms and legs across the length of the couch. “Nyaaa~~” He coos. He then rests his head back on your lap and stares into your eyes dreamily. “Good morn...”

He trails off, glances towards the window and realizes it’s already nighttime. “Huh?!” He props himself up abruptly. “Don’t tell me… Did I sleep through the whole season?”

You distinctly recall him dozing off during the first episode, so yes, he missed pretty much everything.

Takuto sighs. “I’m sorry, dear... I wanted to spend some quality time with you, but instead I only slept through the whole afternoon.”

You tell him not to worry, assuring him that you did enjoy yourself regardless. When you tell him that he’s adorable when napping, he gets flustered, and, to be honest, you are a bit flustered too, hesitating when you pay him the compliment, but you can’t hold yourself back. He’s just  _ too _ cute, and he’s even cuter when he’s embarrassed, like now. He has that shy little smile on his face, the one that always makes you fall in love with him all over again, and he’s staring up at you starry-eyed, like you’re his whole universe. It melts your heart in a good way.

You’re seized by the urge to clutch him between your arms and squeeze him tight, like a stuffed animal, but you know that would only make him uncomfortable, so you instead slip your arm under his back and gently pull him closer, while you use your other hand to stroke behind his ear.

“A-Ah, dear, that feels…!” He breathes out, caught off-guard, but he soon melts into the feeling, as his eyelids begin to fall in delight. “That feels lovely...”

You keep scratching behind his ear, reveling in the feeling of raking your fingers through his tufts of chestnut hair. It’s hard to tear your eyes away from it because of how healthy and shiny it looks. And, as if that wasn’t enough, each of his locks is perfectly smooth, and they all have just the right curvature, the right texture, the right amount of moisture, and, hell, if you had hair like that you’d spend the whole day touching your head, without ever getting tired of the feeling of the soft locks seamlessly brushing against your hand. You can almost feel your worries fading away with each stroke, as your mind focuses on the heavenly sensation, soothed by the familiar rhythm that your hand automatically falls into.

Takuto is clearly savoring the feeling as much as you are, because you can hear his purring and feel the soft rumbling on your lap. His half-lidded eyes soon fall shut, his expression peaceful, just like when he was asleep, and he slowly leans to one side to rest his head against the crook of your neck. His hair tickles your skin, but not enough to make you laugh, so you give in to the drowsiness and rest your chin against his scalp. The vibrations of his purring, which run through your body continuously, nearly lull you to sleep.

You remain that way for a while, losing track of time, before you choose to change your position a bit. Keeping one hand on Takuto’s ear, you run the other hand down his temple, down his cheek, and towards the underside of his jaw. He squirms in anticipation, eyes still closed, as his smile widens just enough to show his tiny fangs. You know he loves it when you scratch under his chin, so that’s exactly what you begin doing.

It’s pretty amusing to see how willing he is to lose himself to your touch. Like most cats, he’s selective about who pets him and how, but, when it’s you, he’s always eager to let you pamper him. He wants to see you enjoy yourself, like you do when he encourages you to pet him freely, but he also trusts you to be careful and to ensure that he can bask in the feeling of pleasure as well. After all, you know him so well that you can tell exactly where he likes to be touched and with how much intensity, but you can also read his body language to tell when he’s getting tired or when a certain hand move bothers him. That’s why you can have him at your mercy with a single touch, but, at the same time, you know when to stop, which helps him feel safe.

To be fair, though, you’re also weak to his touches. But why wouldn’t you be? His stance is caring, his skin warm, his movements therapeutic, and his purrs soothing; he was practically made to be sweet and cuddly, so snuggling with him is positively addictive. There’s nothing like greeting him with a huge bear hug, like curling up to him in bed while you try to fall asleep, or like coming home after a long day to drop into his arms and let him draw circles over your back while you run your hands through his fluffy hair.

Right now, Takuto is pushing himself up a bit, shifting to find a comfortable position. He presses his face against yours, his nose prodding your cheek delicately, before it touches your own nose. He’s playful and gracious at the same time, like only a feline can be, as he rubs himself on you, drawing a chuckle out of you. He then settles down, his head leaning against yours, with an arm draped around your shoulders.

“Love…?” He mumbles, on the threshold between wakefulness and sleep. “It’s getting late… Do you want me to prepare something for dinner?”

Takuto’s cooking is delicious, but you don’t want him to get up… It’s  _ so _ cozy here…

Why don’t you order takeout sushi instead? You ask Takuto what he thinks about the idea, but you don’t need to wait for an answer; the second you mention ‘sushi’, his eyes fly open and his jaw goes slack, his pupils dilating as if in a trance.

“S-Sushi?” He says. He licks his lips involuntarily. “To be honest, that would be great, but won’t it be expensive?”

Even if it is, you can treat yourselves for tonight. It’ll be nice, just lounging on the couch, cuddling while you share pieces of sushi, watch whatever’s on TV, and chat about anything that comes to mind. And so, you nod, insisting that ordering sushi is the right choice.

Takuto beams, his whole face brightening up in excitement. “Alright, if you’re sure that’s what you want.” He places a hand behind your ear and leans in to give you a peck on the lips. “I love you, darling.”

You smile. Of course you love him too.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m glad to be revisiting this series almost exactly a year later! I already knew that I would inevitably end up writing a Maruki x Reader fic, but I never expected it to be about catboys, of all things… Well, in any case, I just wanted to give him some love, so I hope you enjoyed. And please let me know your thoughts!
> 
> [Come check out my Tumblr!](https://denizen-of-dreamland.tumblr.com) There's more of [catboy Maruki](https://denizen-of-dreamland.tumblr.com/tagged/catboy%21maruki) there, too.


End file.
